Regulator for electric fluid-heaters.



W. S. HADAWAY, Jn. REGULATOR FOB ELECTRIC FLUID HEATERS.

APPLIOATIOI FILED 5221x1911.

Jr., a citizen of the United States,

WILLIAM S. HADAWAY, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REGULATOR FOB ELECTRIC FLUID-HEATERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed September a, 1911. Serial No. 647,696.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. HADAWAY,residin at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Regulators for ElectricFluid-Heaters, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to regulators for electric fluid heaters.

It more especially relates to electric fluid heaters of the type whereinthe fluid is in circuit and is heated by the passage of current throughthe same.

My invention has among its objects rovide an improved regulator forelectric uid heaters by the use of which said fluid heaters may beadapted to heat fluids of widely different resistances to widelydiflerent temperatures.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved regulator forelectric fluid heaters wherein the amount of fluid in circuit may bereadily varied as desired by adjusting the heater with respect to itssource 0 fluid supply or vice versa.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive andrugged regu lator which may be constructed andinstalled with smallexpense and which is adapted to provide a large range of regulation.

Other objects and advantages of my im proved construction willhereinafter appear.

In the' views of these drawings I have illustrated two forms which myinvention may assume in practice. My invention is not, however, limitedto these forms chosen for purposes of illustration, but may assume otherforms.

P In the views of these drawings :--Figure 1 shows a partial sectionalview of one form of heater equipped with my improved regulating means.Fig. 2v shows a modified form of regulating means for the heater. Fig. 3

' shows a detail of construction.

In the. construction shown in these drawings I have for purposes ofillustra ion shown an electric water heater of the carbon electrode typewherein the fluid is in circuit and a plurality of carbon electrodes 1are immersed in a fluid containing casing 2 provided with a suitableoutlet 3 and a suitable inlet 4. The inlet 4 is connected to a source offluid supply such as a tank 5 by means of a flexible tubing 6. Theamount of fluid in the tank 5 is regulated by a float 7 controlling aninlet valve 8. In order to counterbalance the heater aweight 9 isprovided suspended from a suitable rope or cable 10 over one or morepulleys 11.

In my improved construction I have taken advantage of the fact that whentwo receptaclescontaining a liquid are connected the level of the liquidwill tend to become the same in both, and have so arranged the heaterthat. it is movable with respect to the source of fluid supply, aflexible connection being provided between the same which serves toconnect the bodies of water in the two receptacles. When the heater ismoved upward the water within the same willv not reach any higher levelthan that of the water within the tank and consequently a greater amountof electrode sur ace within the heater will be exposed as the liquidrecedes. Thus the amount of liquid in circuit will be varied and as theresistance will be decreased, this resistance may be adjusted to anysatisfactory amount by simply moving the heater vertically with respectto the tank. By the provision of the counterweight 8 the heater will beheld in'any position to which it is moved, although other means forholding the heater may e provided. By the. provision of the flexibletubing connecting the heater and the tank, it is obvious that the liquidmay flow from the tank to the heater or vice versa' when either of-thesemembers are in any desired position. .It is of course also obvious thatinstead of'the heater being moved the source of liquid supply may beadjusted relatively to the heater to vary the water level in the heater.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a modified form of the construction shownin Fig. 1. In this constructionthe electric heater, the source of fluidsupply and the connection between the same may be the same as those,illustrated and described in connection with Fig. 1.

However, in this instance instead of the counterweight I haveillustrated a threaded shaft 12 arranged to be rotated by a suitablehand wheel 13. One end of the threaded shaft 12 may be suitably fixed tothe heater casing 2 and may be supported and guided in any suitableguiding member or bracket 14 which in turn may be suported on anysuitable wall or bracket. Vhen the handle 13 is rotated it is desirableto have some means to prevent the rotation of the casing 2 and in orderto prevent this rotation I have provided a projection or tooth 15 whichis carried upon the inner periphery of the guiding member 14 and whichengages with a longitudinall extending roove 16 in the threaded sha t12. By t e provision of this improved means of adjusting the heater, anoperator may by simply turning the hand wheel readily adjust the heaterto any desired level to adapt the same to heat any desired li uid to anydesired temperature,

By my improved construction I have provided a sim le regulator which maybe readily adapte to heaters of many different types and one which doesnot require fitting within the casing of the heater but may be attachedto the same without any change in the construction of the heater.Further, my im roved regulator is adapted to use in large installationswherein large batteries of electric heaters are employed and it isdesired to vary the temperature of the liquid heated by the same. By theuse of my improved construction a rugged regulator is provided which maybe operated with ease y an unskilled operator and which will provide alarge range of regulation. Further, the parts of the same are soexceedingly simple that there is littleor no danger of the regulatorbecoming out of order. Further by my improved construction the waterlevel I within the heater may also be'readily varied by varying theadjustment of the float within the tank so that the liquid levelin thetank may be adjusted. By the provision of either the counterbalance orthe threaded shaft, the heater may be held in any position to which itis moved. This range of movement may be exceedingly large as the tubinconnecting the heater andv the source of fluid supply may be of anydesired length. Further by my improved construction the regulatingapparatus is so arranged that it does not interfere with the parts ofthe heater.

While I have in this application described two specific forms which myinvention may assume in practice, I do not wish to be limited to theseforms chosen for purposes of illustration but wish rather to include inthe scope of this application all those forms of my invention fallingwithin its spirit.

, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is asfollows 1. The combination with a fluid heating device, of a fluidcontaining device for supplyin fluid to said heating device, one of saidevices being adjustable with res ect to the other to vary the height ofthe uid in said heating device.

2. In combination, a fluid heatin device, a fluid containin device forsu plying fluid to said heating evice, means or maintaining asubstantially constant fluid level in said second device, and means foradjusting one of said devices with respect to the other to vary thevolume of fluid in said heating device.

3. In combination, a fluid heating device, means for supplyingfluidthereto and maintainin a substantially constant level of the fluid terein in a fixed position thereof, and means for adjusting said heaterto vary the volume of fluid therein.

4. In combination, a fluid heater, means for supplying fluid thereto andmaintaining a substantially constant level of the fluid in said heater,and means enabling relative adjustment of said heater and said fluid suplying means to vary the volume of fluid 1n said heater.

5. In combination, a fluid heater, a fluid supplying reservoir thereforconnected to a source of fluid supply and means for maintaining asubstantially constant level of the fluid in said reservoir, said heaterbeing adjustable relative to said reservoir to vary the volume of fluidin said heater.

6. In combination, a fluid reservoir con nected to a source of fluidsupply, a float actuated device for controlling the supply of fluid tosaid reservoir to malntain a substantially constant level of the fluidtherein, a fluid heating device supplied with fluid from said reservoir,and means for varying the vertical position of said heater to vary thevolume of fluid therein.

7. In combination, a fluid reservoir connected to a source of fluid suply, a float actuated device for automatica ly controlling the supply offluid to said reservoir to maintain the fluid level of said reservoirsubstantially constant, a fluid heater, a flexible fluid supplyconnection between said reservoir and said heater, and-means for varyingthe vertical position of said heater to vary the normal level of thefluid therein.

8. In combination, a fluid heater and means for supplying fluid theretoincluding an automatic device external to said heater but responsive tovariations in the level of the fluid therein to maintain the level ofthe fluid in said heater substantially constant.

9. In combination, a fluid heater, means for supplying fluid theretoincluding an scribed my name in the presence of two automatic deviceexternal to said heater but Witnesses.

res onsive to variations in the level of the fiui d therein to maintainsaid level and WILLIAM S'HADAWAYJR' 5 means for adjusting said heatervertically Witnesses:

to vary the volume of fluid therein. A. B. HUBBELL,

-In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub- EDWIN N. Lron'rmo'r.

